About Stan Tran

My parents are from South Vietnam. When their country lost the Vietnam War in 1975, they fled the oppressive Communist regime on rickety fishing boats in the dark of the night. After spending months in refugee camps, they were lucky enough to be allowed to immigrate to the United States.

Being born in this country was the single most fortunate event in my life. I attended Stanford University on scholarship and became the first in my family to graduate from college. I would have made my illiterate grandmother proud had she been alive. This is not just a catchy story, however; through my journey I realized first hand the barriers to success in our society. America is billed as the land of opportunity, and underdog success stories are wildly popular, but the truth of the matter is that those stories are few and far in between. More common is the story of the single mother of two who works full time and struggles to put food on the table.

I succeeded in life because of great teachers I have had. After college, I gave back by teaching high school science in rural Arizona where I was nominated by the governor to be Teacher of the Year. I then attended medical school at Brown University on scholarship. I volunteer with the Rhode Island Court Appointed Special Advocates, where I advocate for children in foster care by recommending to the judge the best placement for the child. I also work with the homeless community and have been an active member of the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project.In my experience working with students and with patients, I realized that the system they are in - whether the school system or healthcare system - affects them more than individual teachers or doctors. The system is shaped by career politicians who have to balance many competing interests, at the top of which is their own reelection. Interests with deep pockets and political clout get what they want, and in the process, take advantage of the common people.

I wanted to be a doctor to help people, and the best way to do that is to advocate for them. What better way to advocate than to run for office? My campaign is about changing the way we think and inspiring people to demand more from their elected officials.